The Love Hoax
by Miraluna
Summary: A journalist by the name of Lightning Farron needs an important interview to save her career and Hope Estheim, a popular researcher, is just the right person. However, in order for both of them to get what they want, they must play a dangerous game… being married.
1. Chapter 1

Lightning's heels clicked against every step that led to Hope Estheim's lavish apartment. She never expected to be standing at the door of a scientist who was quickly rising to fame, and hesitated to knock.

Him calling in her in the first place was unusual, and she wondered what kind of business he would have with her, as they were merely acquaintances. When she met him at Serah's wedding, she did say she was a journalist… could he be asking for an interview?

The door opened in front of her, revealing the handsome young man she'd met before. "Oh, hey, Lightning!" he said casually, despite the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

She jumped, wondering if it was the right choice to come by or not. She barely even knew the guy, and here he was, shirtless and surprisingly toned.

He pushed the door wide open, walking back into his apartment. "I was just about to do something, but since you're here, I have a few things we need to discuss…"

"Yeah, about that…" Lightning said, trying not to stare at him too much. _What was he about to do with no shirt on…? _"Why did you call me up here?"

"Take a look," he said, walking into the kitchen and tossing a sheet of paper of the counter. She followed him inside, picking it up and scanning the contents.

"An application?"

"An _accepted _application."

She set the paper down. "Sorry, but if you were looking for congratulations, I'm not the right person to go to."

He chuckled, grabbing a shirt from the couch and pulling it on. "No, you're exactly the right person. Check that paper again."

Confused, she began to read it in detail, not sure what was supposed to stand out to her. Then she saw it, clear as day; _Spouse- Claire Farron._

"What the hell is this?!" she yelled, slamming the paper down. "Spouse? I hardly even know you! And how did you get my real name?"

The phone started ringing. "You gonna answer that?" she said, hostility giving an edge to her voice.

"No, our current conversation is more important."

The ringing faded and a message was left on the answering machine.

"Uh, hey!" It was Snow. "I was wondering if the plan worked! You know, the one where you're shirtless. I'm pretty sure she'd definitely say yes 'cause… I'm the hero! A hero needs to be..."

Lightning ignored Snow's voice after hearing the key point. His face was bright red after being found out. Snow had convinced him that this was only way for Lightning to accept the proposal, and he was dumb enough to do it.

"So, Snow told you. Did he also tell you to put my name in that application?"

"O-Of course not, I was just not in the right mind at the time. But... what can I say, your name looks good on paper." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

**"**ALSO PLEASE DON'T TELL SIS THAT I TOLD YOU TO PUT HER NAME ON THE PAPER**!"**

Hope groaned. "Seriously, Snow..."

"Things aren't looking good for you Mr. Hope Estheim." She stared him down with an accusing glare.

"I can explain!"

"Oh, really? You've already told me two lies, how do I know that this will be the truth?" Lightning scoffed, crossing her arms.

"I promise that I'll tell you the entire story, honestly." He sighed, taking a deep breath. "They wouldn't take me seriously if I wasn't married, so I asked Snow for advice-"

"_He's_ the person you go to for advice?"

"Uh, yeah. Big mistake, but I wrote your name on the application, just to see what would happen… and now my boss has already requested to meet the both of us."

"Snow _had_ to drag me into this situation. Seriously..." she griped, preparing to walk out the door but he grabbed her wrist and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Please, will you pretend to be my wife? Nothing more, nothing less."

"And why would I do that?" She pulled her wrist out of his grasp.

"I'll let you be the very first person to interview me."

She sighed. _He makes a good point. If I could get an interview with Hope Estheim, the popular researcher… it would do wonders for my career._

"Fine, I'll go meet your boss. But that's it."

"Well, actually…. I understand that you're struggling, trying to become a journalist, so... I believe that it'd be beneficial for both of us if you'd come live with me."

Lightning clicked her tongue. "What kind of bullshit is that?"

He was startled by the journalist's choice of words. As Lightning made her way out the door, Hope cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"The interview."

She paused at the entrance of the apartment. _Damn, I forgot about that… Looks like I might be saying yes after all. _Hope stood up, properly escorting Lightning out the door.

"I guess you don't need to interview me, so I'll see you-"

"Wait! ...I'll do it."

Hope smirked. The fake marriage was set.

"Oh, and by the way…"

He tossed a small box into the air, Lightning catching it swiftly. She hesitantly opened it, wondering what other crazy ideas he had. She nearly fainted.

"A ring?"

And not just any ring; it was encrusted with diamonds. _Real _diamonds. What she held in this small box was probably worth more than her yearly salary.

"To make this marriage more believable, I'm gonna need you to wear that."

_Tch. He knew I was going to say yes from the beginning… the bastard… _

"It'll be a pleasure working with you, miss Farron. Or shall I say, _Mrs. Estheim._ Claire Estheim... it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's what I wrote down. You're going to have to use that name a lot more from now on."

Lightning sped to the door, with plans on leaving.

"Where are you going?" He asked, surprised.

"You expect me to live here without any of my stuff? I'll be back tomorrow." She immediately took off without giving Hope the chance to say goodbye. As soon as Lightning left the apartment building, she kicked the nearest garbage can fifty feet into the air.

_GODDAMMIT SNOW I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! _


	2. Chapter 2

Lightning took one long last look at her apartment before grabbing her bags and heading out. She was in the city slums, and knew that her old lifestyle wouldn't be missed.

Cramped living spaces and dirty streets, traded for what..? A life of luxury, but with _him_.

She scowled, about to hail a taxi when she saw a familiar face in a car parked near her apartment building. Was that Serah? She looked closer. Oh, great. SNOW was driving.

"Hey sis!" Serah called, stepping out of the car, but lightning was too focused on glaring at Snow.

Serah ran towards Lightning with a cheerful smile. "I'm so sorry Snow got you into this situation! But I'm sure this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

Lightning rolled her eyes. "It better be worth it."

Serah grabbed Lightning's hands as if her sister's life depended on it. "Good luck!" She smiled. "I'm sure it's worth it." Serah dashed back to the car, but Lightning noticed her saying something under her breath.

Serah fastened her seat belt. "_I'm sure it's worth it_... there's more to him than what you think!" she murmured.

"Did you say something?" Snow asked.

"Nope!"

Snow avoided eye contact with Lightning while Serah waved goodbye. He was too scared to face her, especially after his mistake of calling Hope.

Lightning watched as they drove off. "Tch. He could have at least given me a ride there, especially after getting me into this mess. Now I've got to pay for a taxi..."

"No worries," a voice said behind her. "I got you covered."

She turned around, seeing Hope standing before her with a smug smile. "How did you know where I live..?"

"I followed him here."

Lightning cursed. As if she didn't hate Snow enough...

"C'mon, our ride is waiting."

"Huh?"

She looked behind him and her jaw nearly dropped. _A limo. Out of all things, he chooses to come in a limo. _

"We're in the poorest part of town, are you crazy?" Lightning said.

People on the streets were already starting to stare. Some girls giggled and there were whispers of "Hope Estheim".

_Is he really THAT popular?_ Lightning thought.

Hope walked up the limo, opening the door. "After you," he said, motioning for her to go inside.

"Did you really have to bring a limo?" she questioned. He didn't have to impress her, she already knew how flamboyant he was. She stepped inside the vehicle, Hope following behind her.

"My boss sent it, there's an event we have to attend and there's going to be a lot of reporters. So, he said to show up fancy."

"I didn't sign up for this." She glared.

"Yes, you did."

Lightning clicked her tongue. It was no use arguing. "Driver, stop the car."

"What happened?"

"I'm walking to your apartment. I'd rather not attend that special event. Tell your boss that I got sick." She opened the door and stepped out.

Hope ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Fine, here's the keys."

She took the keys, slamming the car door. He called out the window, "I even bought this nice dress for you to wear-"

Before he could say anything else, she sped off in the direction of his apartment.

Once she got there, she dropped her bags to the ground. _Wait a minute, now that I think about it, is there an extra room for me...?_

Worried, she checked every room and reassured herself that she wasn't snooping around, just looking for a place to sleep. To her disappointment, there was only one bedroom.

_The couch it is..._

She noticed something lying on his bed. _A red dress... Is this what he was talking about? _

She picked it up and held it against herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror._ He must be crazy for thinking I'd wear this._

Still, she figured it wouldn't hurt to try it on, considering he was probably going to force her into it at some point. She slid on the dress, noticing the tightness. "There is NO way in hell-"

The door burst open and she met eyes with Hope. "Oh," he said. Lightning blushed, folding her arms across her chest. "Excuse me, shouldn't you be somewhere else being 'fancy'?"

"Well, I was going to stop here anyway. But it was pretty funny seeing you walk with such anger."

"It's not funny!"

He laughed. "You look really pretty in that."

"You're just saying that," she scoffed.

"I'm being serious," he chuckled. "You're beautiful."

Lightning froze, eyes wide open. She raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Y-You're beautiful in that dress I mean," he stuttered.

"Oh," she seemed a little disappointed. "Thanks."

"I think it looks great... Uh, so... do you think you can make it to the event? My boss _really_ wants to meet you. There will be dinner at a fancy restaurant!"

Lightning sighed. "Fine, I'll go. But I'm only going for the steak."

Hope grinned. "Shall we?" He said, holding the door open.

They exited the apartment and headed towards the limo. On the way to the dinner event, Hope was anxious to say something. He would open his mouth slowly, then immediately snap it shut.

"What is it?" Lightning asked bluntly.

"Huh?"

"What do you need to say?"

"I just..." he cleared his throat. Lightning waited for his answer.

"_Honey_, you shouldn't be so forceful."

"What. Was. That?"

Hope laughed nervously. "I was just trying it out-"

She grabbed him by the collar of his suit. "If you try and call me that one more time-"

"Well, we're gonna have to... I was hoping we'd use nicknames for each other, to look more like a couple..."

She let him go. "That's a waste of time."

"Just work with me, please?"

Lightning sighed. She wouldn't get anywhere arguing with him. "Fine. What do I call you?"

"I dunno, I think 'darling' sounds kind of nice..."

Lightning glared at him. This was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

The car pulled up to the restaurant. Hope looked out the window, surveying the busy line.

"Okay, we're here..._honey_."

Lightning clenched her fists. "Yes, _darling_."

Hope stepped out of the car, escorting Lightning after him. She linked her arm around his, just as they planned in the limo. There was line of gasps once they stepped out. Once Hope's fangirls saw the ring on Lightning and Hope, they bawled. _Great, now I'm going to be hated by hundreds of girls..._

"Hope! So, this is your lovely wife!" someone called out.

"Mr. Pablo, it's nice to see you." Hope smiled. It was his boss.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Hope looked into Lightning's eyes, which startled her at first. "This is Claire, my wife." He said, looking back to his boss.

"Nice to meet you." She said, shaking Mr. Pablo's hand.

"It's a pleasure. Now, let's go eat!" The boss said, eagerly.

_At least it wasn't as awkward as I suspected_, she thought.

They all were seated at the table and Mr. Pablo was curious about his employee's wife.

"You certainly are a beauty, as expected of Mr. Estheim!"

Hope smiled. "Sir, please, I don't know what you think of me from the rumors, but I'm just a normal guy."

"No need to be bashful! So what was it, young lady, his looks or his money that drew you in?" The boss laughed.

Lightnings mind reeled. He was clearly joking, and the look on Hope's face was telling her neither of those choices were the right answer. She had to make up something else. Something... romantic.

"Actually," she said, fidgeting with her dress, "it was..."

The table went silent. "His... charming personality."

She tried not to cringe. The smile from Hope told her 'good job', and she wondered if she could keep this up.

"He certainly is charming, no wonder you fell in love with him! How did you two first meet? It must be some story!" The boss chuckled.

"It wasn't anything special, we met at a wedding of her sister. The groom introduced me to Claire, and it was love at first sight."

"That's a nice story! You two planning on having children?"

Lightning choked on her water. She wasn't expecting that question, so she looked at Hope, telling him to answer.

"W-We haven't thought about it."

"Well, when you do, I'd like to be the uncle!" Mr. Pablo laughed.

"We'll keep that in mind." Hope chuckled, hoping that his boss would never ask a question like that again.

"Let's dig in! I heard the steak tastes great!" Mr. Pablo said.

Lightning forgot all about the marriage after eating the steak and then she snapped out of it. _Wait, I'm supposed to be acting like Hope's wife..._ Then, Mr. Pablo burst out laughing.

"Your wife is quite the charmer herself, Mr. Estheim!"

"That's why I love her." Hope smiled.

Lightning choked on her steak. Hope nudged her as she swallowed the bit stuck in her throat. "Act along," he whispered, telling her she wasn't doing good enough of a job.

"You just... _surprised_ me a bit." Lightning glared at him.

"Everything okay over there?" Mr. Pablo asked.

"Just fine," said Hope, looking over at Lightning as her cue to continue the conversation.

"We were just... discussing..."

_Crap, lightning, think of something couples would talk about!_

"Our... honeymoon?"

_There's no way he'll buy that...!_

Mr Pablo's face beamed with delight. "Oh, are you two recently wed? I can set up a lovely vacation for you!"

"N-" Lightning started, but Hope was already snapping up the offer.

"Actually we've been arguing about where to go for a while. What's your suggestion?"

"When you think of honeymoons, the first thought that comes to mind is Hawaii! How does that sound?" Mr. Pablo was thrilled from the subject and she didn't know how to react.

"U-Uh-" Lightning stuttered. Hawaii was _way_ out of her budget, so she wanted to refuse.

"That's perfect! Thank you, sir!" Hope blurted.

"Just for the two of you, I'll pay for the trip!" the boss chuckled.

"You don't have to-"

"Thank you so much! We have to get going, but thanks for the dinner!" Hope interrupted, quickly grabbing his coat.

He grabbed Lightning's hand, interrupting her from finishing her steak, and made his way out the door. As they were dashing off, Lightning caught a glimpse of the boss with the biggest smile on his face. Out of the building, Lightning yanked her hand back, turning away.

"You're angry, right?"

The rose-haired girl wouldn't answer, and instead started walking in the direction she was facing.

"The silent treatment, huh?" he sighed. "By the way, the apartment is the other way..."

Lightning turned around, furious. "I've impressed your boss, that's good enough. I'm not about to go on vacation with you."

"He's going to pay for the whole trip out of _kindness_. If I say no..."

"Bring someone else."

Lightning continued walking in the correct direction to the apartment, Hope walking alongside her.

"I... don't have anyone else."

Lightning stopped. "Really? I find that hard to believe."

"No, I'm serious. You were the only person I talked to at the wedding. I may be somewhat popular but I actually don't have many friends."

"Snow?"

"We've known each other for a while, but if he hadn't introduced me to you, I'd be alone."

Lightning sighed. "If you're trying to gain my sympathy..."

"I'm just asking for one favor. Please go."

She smiled lightly. "One favor, huh?" _That's the biggest lie I've ever heard..._

"Please?" he begged.

Lightning groaned, knowing she couldn't say no. "Fine... I'll go."

She rolled her eyes, walking in the direction of the apartment. Hope chuckled, chasing after her.

She stopped.

"What's wrong?"

Lightning lifted her right leg back, taking off the high heel. She used Hope's shoulder for balance. Then, she took off the heel on her left leg, carrying them both in her hands.

"Do you want me to carry you home?" he joked, but at the same time, he was serious.

"Forget it," she said bluntly.

"What if you step on glass?"

"That's the worst-case scenario, I'll be fine. I can use my eyes, you know."

"But your eyes can't see in the dark," he replied.

Lightning clicked her tongue. For the rest of the walk, she stayed close by him while he kept an eye on the ground.

When they got inside, Hope flicked on the light switch and jumped in surprise. "Alyssa?"

She yawned, sitting up on the couch. "I fell asleep waiting for you, stupid."

"Who's this?" Lightning said, feeling awkward for being seen so close to Hope.

"She's my... co-worker," Hope explained nervously.

Lightning looked at him suspiciously. _So you're 'alone' huh..._

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Just had to give you some.. papers." Alyssa smiled.

Lightning felt an eerie, unnerving aura from her presence. _Why did she say that so strangely? Is there something else going on here? _

She looked at Hope, who seemed concerned.

"Congrats on being promoted," Alyssa said as she walked around the room. "From researcher to scientist."

Alyssa took a glimpse of Lightning and smiled. Lightning couldn't help but feel unwanted in that room. _So that whole speech was just another lie... I can't believe I was stupid enough to trust him._

"Uh, thanks. But you could have left the papers on the counter." Hope sighed.

"But I heard that you got married and I just had to meet the lucky gal!"

"Uh, right. This is my wife, Claire."

"Nice to meet ya! My name is Alyssa!" She smiled, holding out her hand.

Lightning looked at the girl's hand, hesitantly taking it.

"I'm... Claire."

"Well, I'll be heading home! See you at work!" Alyssa walked out of the door, waving goodbye.

"Looks like there's someone you could go to Hawaii with." Lightning crossed her arms.

"No, wait, she's just a co-worker."

"It doesn't seem that way."

"I promise, we _are_ just co-workers."

Lightning turned away and Hope chuckled.

"Could it be that you're _jealous_?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Lightning hid her face so he couldn't tell that she was blushing fervently. _Why do I feel like this... Am I mad at her? Or him? For what? _She denied the fact that she could possibly be jealous.

After all, she barely knew him, even though just that day felt like forever. Lightning dashed to the bedroom and grabbed a pillow and a blanket. She shoved it into Hope's face and ran back into the bedroom.

"You're sleeping on the couch!" she yelled.

"I _really_ feel that we're married now," he chuckled.

"Be quiet!"

Lightning sunk into the mattress and fell asleep with her face buried in his pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

When the sunlight hit her skin, Lightning pulled off the sheets from the unfamiliar bed. She left Hope's bedroom and stumbled into the kitchen, eyes adjusting to daylight.

Hope saw her, looking away from the frying pan held in his hands which was currently sizzling with an unknown food.

"Good morning, Claire, I'm-"

"Stop calling me that," Lightning interrupted.

"But that _is_ your name." He looked back at the food he was making.

"Listen, I go by Lightning, not Claire."

Hope sighed. "But Claire is such a pretty name."

"You don't know me well enough to call me by that name," Lightning explained, even though if he did, she still wouldn't like it. It was mostly an excuse, though she _was_ somewhat mad that he knew such a personal secret.

"I don't know you?" he laughed. "We're married!"

"You can cut the act while we're here. Last night was tiring enough."

She yawned, causing Hope to flash a smile. "Want some bacon, earlybird?"

She wanted to scowl and walk away but the smells from the pan had wafted through the air and made her stomach growl.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled.

She sighed and sat down at the table. He scooped bacon from the pan onto a plate and set it in front of her.

"Hope you like it. I'm a pretty good chef."

"If I'm the wife, shouldn't I be doing the cooking?" she teased, suddenly regretting her choice of words. _No, I'm NOT the wife! Why am I playing along?! Damn you, Hope!_

He watched her expectantly as she tried a piece of bacon.

"This is... surprisingly good," she admitted, eating some more.

He sat across from her. "I could teach you sometime."

Lightning glanced at him raising her eyebrow and then grinning, looking back at her bacon.

"We'd have as much time as we want, if you were really my wife," he joked.

"Watch it," she threatened. "You're stepping onto dangerous grounds."

Hope laughed it off and walked over to Lightning. He leaned towards her and took a bite from the bacon from her hand.

"Hey-!"

"Just checking to see if the bacon is alright."

"And you had to eat mine...?"

He smiled and went into his room to change. After all, Lightning locked him out of his own bedroom. She pressed her lips together, crossing her arms. _Is he always this weird?_

Once he finished changing, he grabbed his keys.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Lightning had finished her bacon and was putting the plate in the sink.

"You mean 'are _we_ going somewhere', because we are."

She forcefully dropped the plate, making a clatter. "I already told you, I'm done with-"

"This is important. We need to go shopping so we're ready for our trip."

"Why so soon? Let's go tomorrow."

"Actually... my boss planned it for tomorrow, so we could have our vacation before I started my new job as a scientist..."

"What?!"

"He was really eager to plan this trip, so he booked it as soon as possible."

Lightning sighed. "Fine, let's go."

Hope grinned, holding the door open. She walked out the door, crossing her arms as usual.

As they were walking through the store, they spotted Mr. Pablo. Without hesitation, Hope reached for Lightning, locking their hands together.

"Good afternoon, sir," Hope said approaching his boss. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Mr. Estheim! Good afternoon to you, too! I just had to pick up a few things. You two must be preparing for the trip, right?"

"That's correct, sir."

Mr. Pablo was quite sociable, but Lightning didn't know what to do or say.

The boss leaned in towards Hope and whispered, "Remember, I get to be the uncle to your child."

Mr. Pablo then laughed, nudging Hope's arm. "I'll see you two when you come back from your trip, enjoy yourselves!"

The boss left them and Hope avoided eye contact with Lightning, walking past clothing racks. He realized then that Lightning didn't own many suitable clothes for the tropics.

"Don't you need some for Hawaii?" he pointed in the area.

Lightning narrowed her eyebrows. What Hope didn't know was that, instead of pointing at the general clothing area, she saw him pointing at one thing in particular.

"What kind of a trip did you have in mind, you pervert?" she demanded.

"A-ah, no! I didn't mean to point to the underwear...! I was just talking about clothes!"

"_Sure_," Lightning said, storming off and picking a few things to wear.

He decided that it was best to leave her alone, and went to get travel products.

Once he found the aisle, a familiar face greeted him.

"Hope!" Alyssa called. She dropped her things and ran to grab his arm. "So we meet again!"

He smiled nervously, trying to pull her off him but he was interrupted by the worst person possible.

"Hope? What are you doing?" Mr. Pablo questioned.

_Shoot, he didn't leave the store... and this probably doesn't look good to him!_

Mr. Pablo raised his eyebrow. "Aren't you acting a little too friendly? After all, you are married to miss Claire, _aren't you?_"

Hope immediately pulled Alyssa's arm off his.

"Where is miss Claire?" his boss asked.

"She went to go pick out her clothes, but I encountered Alyssa just a minute ago."

Mr. Pablo had suspicions, but didn't bother saying anything.

"U-Uh, darling!" Lightning called out from afar.

She sounded awkward, but she noticed that Hope was stuck in a tight situation. Lightning walked towards the group and stood close next to Hope. He immediately placed his arm around Lightning's shoulder.

"Um, I got what I needed," Lightning said, smiling lightly.

"It seems like you need to watch your husband, miss Claire," Mr. Pablo laughed. "I'll be leaving now, see you three later."

"I was just being friendly, why do you look so mad about it?" Alyssa whined.

"It didn't look like that, and I don't want to upset my boss. Okay?" There was an edge of anger to Hopes voice, surprising Lightning. He was clearly tired of Alyssa's antics.

She walked off, mumbling, "Upset him? You two are _married_..."

Alyssa was confused by how such a small gesture would cause Hope to panic. Surely their relationship was stable enough that Mr. Pablo wouldn't question them… unless… they weren't actually as close as they seemed?

She wondered to herself as she exited the store.

Hope and Lightning watched her walk off, talking once she was out of earshot.

"Hope, what the hell? Are you trying to get us caught?"

"No, I swear, she grabbed me first!"

"Well, you clearly didn't let go until your boss showed up."

"She's stronger than she looks! Her grip was difficult to yank off!"

Lightning shook her head and walked off.

"Hey, wait!" He said, chasing after her.

She stopped and turned around. "Wait here."

Confused, Hope looked around, noticing that he was standing in front of a changing room. In an instant, his face was flushed red. He could hear her changing, which would make him more red each second. Lightning stepped outside the changing room.

"Okay, I'm done. We should head home."

"Y-Yeah," he said, still flustered.

They bought the things they needed and it was a quiet ride home. Hope was still red and Lightning was a bit angry. She felt a strange feeling, but ignored it, thinking that it was her imagination.

Inside Hopes apartment, it was even more awkward. Hope had nothing to say, and if he did, Lightning wouldn't even want to respond to him.

She immediately dropped her bags and sat on the couch, watching the TV to pass time.

Hope wanted to join her, but he knew she would be cold and unfriendly. _Why do I always have to mess everything up? _he thought with a sigh.

Instead, he went to his bedroom, lying on his bed. But something was different. The remnants of Lightning were still here, and her scent was on his pillow.

_She even smells beautiful... wait, what?_

Hope looked at the bags she brought yesterday, her things from home. She didn't pack much, considering she was moving houses.

_Maybe she didn't have much to begin with..._

Hope felt a pang of guilt. He'd forced her out of her home with the promise to make some cash in an interview... _I'm such a jerk. Maybe this is why I have no close friends._

Lightning opened the door.

"Oh, I-" she said, stopping suddenly. "Are you... crying?"

"Huh?" he said, tears coming out of his eyes.

She walked over to Hope, sitting on the bed. She leaned in and poked his forehead back. He had a fixed-gaze on Lightning.

"I'm not good with cheering up others, but turn to the side."

Hope didn't question what she was making him do, so he turned away. Then, he felt a warm feeling on his back. Lightning sat her back on his, not making any eye contact.

"I won't watch you cry, but... I'll be right behind you if you need me," she said, softly. "I didn't know what to do when Serah cried, but I usually sat with her like this, back to back, letting her know that I'm right behind her."

Hope sniffled, wiping his tears from his face.

"Are you lonely...? Now that Serah has gotten married, you can't really do this anymore."

For a while, Lightning didn't respond. She took a deep breath and looked to the side.

"I guess... I am a bit lonely, now that she's with Snow, but I am glad that she's happy with him."

"I'm sorry," Hope said, quietly.

"Why are you apologizing?"

When he didn't respond, she stood up and saw he had his eyes closed. _Only you would fall asleep like this… _She laid him against the pillow, turning the light off before she left.

"Goodnight, Hope." 


	5. Chapter 5

The morning was rushed as Lightning and Hope were in a hurry to get to the airport. They dashed around, placing their belongings into the luggage with only an hour left before the plane departed.

"Why didn't you set an alarm?!" Lightning said, running around the apartment.

"I fell asleep, remember?"

"That was really rude, you know. Falling asleep while I was talking to you-"

"Yes, I'm sorry," he interrupted. "But how could you forget to pack your things?"

She clicked her tongue and continued packing.

"Now _that_ was rude," he teased.

Ignoring him, she zipped up her luggage and was ready to leave. Lightning caught a glimpse of something sticking out of her suitcase, but she didn't remember putting it in the bag. It was a pair of shirts that said 'husband' and 'wife' in bold letters.

"What the hell is this?" She said, squinting her eyes as she looked at the shirts. "Husband and wife? This is going a little too far, Hope."

"I thought it was cute."

"Cute, my ass. I'm not wearing this."

"But we _are _married."

"Stop saying that," the girl said harshly, turning away. "Let's go before the plane leaves."

Grabbing the luggage, Hope opened the door only to find Alyssa on the other side.

"Alyssa...? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"E-Eh? I just wanted to say goodbye, but... I overheard your conversation. Um... Are you two...actually married?"

Alyssa was suspicious. They didn't expect her to be on the other side of the door, eavesdropping on their conversation. Lightning noticed that Alyssa's actions were unexpected, appearing at the wrong times. Hope was speechless. The intelligent researcher didn't know what to do or say, so Lightning stepped up.

"O-Of course we're married, what we meant was that... we won't be officially married until we went on our honeymoon," she stuttered, her voice stiff with worry.

"Y-Yeah, that's what we meant." Hope said, emphasizing their point.

"Hmmm? Alright..." Alyssa responded, raising her brow. "I should leave now, you two have a plane to catch. Have fun on the trip..."

Her suspicions had been steadily rising. The two were nervous now; they'd been almost caught twice by the keen co-worker.

"Geez, we have to be careful with what we say and where we say it," Hope sighed with relief.

"Come on, we have to get to the airport."

* * *

They made it to the airplane with just five minutes to spare, finding their seats just before the flight was about to take off.

"And we had a schedule all planned out for this morning," Hope said, crumpling up a piece of paper. "But not everything goes as planned, I guess."

"Right."

Lightning tilted her head to the side, gathering her thoughts. _I can't believe I'm doing this... _As she crossed her arms, she shut her eyes, ignoring every sound around her. Her head made its way to Hope's shoulder, startling him. He flinched and glanced at Lightning.

"Clai- I mean, Lightning?"

"Shh. Don't ruin it," she said, her eyes closed peacefully.

He smiled to himself. _Ruin what? The moment? You're too cute, Light… _

Hope gently placed his arm around her as she fell asleep, their two hearts beating as one.

It was late at night when she finally opened her eyes again, retreating from Hope when she noticed how close they were. _Tch, I can't believe he put his arm around me. I'm definitely gonna yell at him for that later… _

The view outside the airplane window next to him caught her attention, her eyes widening in surprise. She leaned over Hope and looked in awe at the vibrant colors of the city beneath them.

He stirred in his sleep, awakening to find Lightning's head in front of him, her pink hair falling across her face like a curtain. _What's she doing? _

Lightning didn't notice Hope run his fingers across her face, pushing her hair behind her ear. She was still looking out the window on his side, smiling at the wonder of the world around her.

"Beautiful," she said quietly.

"Yeah, you are. I-I mean! The view, i-it's amazing-"

Lightning gasped and fell back onto her seat. "So you were awake and watching me this whole time?"

"N-no! I fell asleep too without realizing it."

"Oh really…?" she said, raising her eyebrow.

Lightning stared at his face intently, watching as Hope's cheeks grew red and he began to have trouble keeping eye contact.

"I-Is there something on my face?" he stuttered, eyes wandering.

"Just checking if you were lying. After all, you have a streak of lies you told me." She chuckled.

Lightning sat back and crossed her arms, glancing at the window again like nothing happened. A realization dawned on Hope and he formed a smile, eyes widened with surprise.

"You laughed... you finally laughed! The first laugh since we met! Wow, I thought you really hated me."

"Oh, _shut up_," she said, grabbing a magazine and burying her face into it.

Hope pretended not to notice her embarrassment and laughed as he turned his head to the window.

They arrived a few hours later, stepping off the plane into complete darkness before entering the Hawaiian airport.

"Okay, let's get our stuff and get to the hotel. Looks like we'll have to start our sightseeing tomorrow," Hope sighed.

"Wait a minute, look over there."

Hope followed her gaze and saw a man standing with a sigh saying 'Estheim'.

"That's us!" he said excitedly.

"That's _you_," she reminded him, walking towards the man.

He bowed. "Mr. Pablo sends his regards. I am here with your luggage and a ride to the hotel. Free of charge, of course."

Lightning was impressed. "Wow, Hope. Your boss really likes you."

"Let's keep it that way," he laughed, walking outside to their limousine.

_Another one, huh. I will never get used to this kind of stuff..._

She stepped inside and scooted away from Hope when he tried to sit next to her. "Don't."

"Why?"

She checked to see that the window in between them and the driver was closed.

Still, she whispered her next words- "I'm not going to pretend to like you in a place where it doesn't matter."

_Crap, that was way too mean... what am I thinking?_

He felt his heart sink. "Oh."

His teary eyes narrowed to the side and Lightning felt even worse. _Why did I have to say it like that?! _She sighed and glanced over to him. Little by little, she scooted closer.

"Lightning...?"

"I-It's just a little breezy over there," Lightning took a deep breath, taking a glimpse at Hope. "I'm...sorry. I didn't realize how rude that was."

Hope gave a little smile, leaning towards her and staring right into her eyes without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"...What?" she said, feeling uncomfortable by the sudden change in atmosphere.

He laughed and broke his gaze. "So, you aren't lying."

Her eyes widened. _Did he just use my method? No way… I feel like such an idiot._ She scooted away, avoiding eye contact. Hope then followed.

"S-Stay away!"

"But there's a breeze over there," he chuckled, moving closer.

She reached the end of the seat, bumping into the door.

The door opened on them, almost knocking Lightning out of her seat. She landed on her back and Hope fell on top of her, looking up at the chauffeur with wide eyes.

He cleared his throat. "...My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Estheim, but we have arrived the hotel."

"Th-thanks," Hope stuttered, helping Lightning up and out of the limousine. He tried to act like nothing happened, but he felt his face heat up everytime he felt Lightning's eyes on his.

_Is she as embarrassed as I am?_ he wondered.

The hotel staff greeted them kindly, taking their luggage up the elevator.

Despite the presence of another person, the entire walk to their room was the most awkward thing Hope ever had to live through.

"Thank you," he said once the luggage was placed outside their door, and he waved the helpful worker goodbye.

Secretly he was scared stiff, thinking, _No, don't leave me alone, not with this stone cold woman... she might just kill me with her eyes!_

Slowly he turned to her as she opened the door.

"W-well, we're here..."

Lightning didn't move. Her eyes were fixated on the scene in front of her. "What the hell is this?"

Hope looked inside the room. A King sized bed stood in the center of the room, with no other options to sleep on.

"_Really_, boss..." Hope sighed.

"At least it's a nice room."

Hope looked at Lightning, shocked. He was surprised that she wasn't lashing out, but inside her mind, Lightning felt like she was about to go crazy. She kept her composure and walked inside the room.

"Aren't you a little worried?" Hope asked.

"Don't let something as little as this make you have second thoughts. There's nothing we can do about it."

"Right..." he said, doubting her words.

Lightning made her way onto the bed, casually lying down. She grabbed a travel brochure right next to the bed, flipping through the pages.

"This place looks nice."

Hope stood still next to his luggage, holding on to the handle with a death grip.

"What? What place?"

"It has a weird name, but it's at a volcano." Lightning looked up from the brochure, noticing the awkward man. "Just come over here, you should see this."

"O-okay."

He left his suitcase at the side of the bed and tentatively sat next to her, trying to keep his distance.

She looked at him skeptically. "Can even you see anything from over there?"

"Well…"

She sighed and inched closer to him, setting the brochure in front of them. "This," she said, pointing to a picture of a massive volcano, "is what I was talking about. I think we should go."

For hours, they spoke about the places they should go sightseeing and the restaurants they should eat at. Hope planned the schedule and Lightning was by his side to help him, looking through the brochure for famous food areas. Eventually, they fell asleep planning the sights to see on the long vacation ahead of them.


End file.
